In the Black
by nilkin67
Summary: Mal and River have a talk


In the Black

Serenity flew, the engines at full. She is covered with streaks of red and skeletons chained to the outer plating. There is a faint, high pitched noise, growing louder.

Serenity flew on, trailing plasma from the engines, the shrill noise growing louder every second.

The ship loomed larger, and the noise grew to an ear splitting scream. As the ship got closer, the inside of the flight deck came into view.

Reavers!

Malcolm Reynolds awoke with a start, covered in sweat and shaking. He tried to sit up, but his head spun and he lay back down. After a minute he stood, a little shaky, but he managed to make his way to the sink. He pushed the tab and the sink extends from the wall. He splashed water on his face several times. He stood over the sink, his hands gripping both sides of the sink and he stared down into the sink.

He couldn't remember now what the dream, or nightmare, was about, as soon as he awoke, the images would fade.

He pushed the tab to retract the sink, and he made a point of not looking at himself in the mirror. He took a towel off the wall and dried his face, throwing the towel at a bin in the corner and got dressed.

On the bridge, River Tam sat in the copilot seat. She was sitting with her knees brought up tight to her chest and her chin rested on her knees. She was staring out the windows into the black. She loves sitting here by herself. When all the crew was asleep it was so quiet. She still heard voices, but these were those of her friends here on Serenity. But after Miranda, she had gained some degree of control over what the Alliance had done to her, somewhat.

She loved looking out into the black. It reminds her of the times she had been outside the ship. Those had been some of the most pleasurable moments of her life. When Simon and her had hidden from Jubal Early she had enjoyed every moment. Simon didn't share her enthusiasm.

River looked off to her right to the pilots station. While she was now the pilot of Serenity, more or less, she did not feel comfortable sitting there. On the console surrounding it were small plastic dinosaurs, she looked at these for a long moment and frowned. Memories of Wash came at her, and then of Book, and a torrent of other faces she didn't recognize. She put her hands over her eyes and shook her head. She forced the faces to go away, and after a few minutes they faded and fell silent once more.

Mal walked up the entry to the bridge. He looked over at River, who looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, but did not say anything. Mal sat down in the pilots seat. He was the only person who regularly sat there. He checked a few systems, flipped a few switches and looked at displays. All the while River looked at him.

"What can I do for you River?" Mal said without looking at her.

River smiled and shook her head, but continued to look at him.

Mal continued checking systems and just looking busy.

After a minute she said, "Bad dreams."

Mal looked at her. She smiled again, and her gazed went to the dinosaurs. Mal felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He had lost people he cared for, too many to count. It bothered him that two people seemed to be haunting him.

"He didn't suffer." She said, frowning and still looking at the dinosaurs.

Mal, still looking at them also, answered "I know."

They sat without speaking for a while. Both had turned their attentions out the windows to the black.

Kaylee's voice interrupted from the intercom.

"Captain."

Mal leaned forward and toggled a switch, "Go head."

"The dyno-thermal couplings are acting up again."

Mal took a deep breathe and looked out the window again, then toggled the intercom, "Can you keep them going a little while longer?"

"Sure, but we need to take it easy." Kaylee said.

"Ok, but she will hold, right?"

"Sure will Captain."

He flipped the switch off and sat back. River was still looking out into the black. She said without looking at Mal, "She is happy."

Mal looked at River, "Kaylee?"

"Serenity."

Mal smiled, "Yep, except for the dyno couplings."

She gave Mal a look and then smiled, and Mal sat back in the seat.

"We're all here, she's happy, flying in the black." River said.

When they left Persephone five months ago, River had sat where she is sitting now. She had flown Serenity out and had done very well. Since then she seems to have gotten better, both as a pilot and as a person. While she did still have an occasional moment, she seemed much more at peace. But when she did have one of her moments, the entire crew would expect the worst. Jayne still react the worst of all. River still scares him, although he would never admit it. The crew still rib him over the beating she gave him in the bar on Beaumonde.

"It's all about faith, right?" River said.

Mal looked at her and smiled.

"The dreams will go away."

Mal looked away from her. While he knew she was a reader, he had never really accepted it. She sensed this and added. "I heard you wake up, I know that sound."

She continued.

"Book once told me something, I miss him."

Mal looked back to her. She has pulled her legs tight to her, her head tilted off so she can still look at Mal.

"Faith."

"He was a big one for faith."

"Same as you."

Mal started to react, but he stopped. He wanted to say that he was nothing like the preacher. But that was not true.

He told me "You can't fix faith, it fixes you."


End file.
